I write about everything from raising capital to leading teams and acquiring customers, but I focus considerably on how founders can grow their businesses by seeking personal improvement first. Over the past few years, I have co-founded and managed companies in the e-commerce, data security and Chinese translation industries, and have worked as an investment professional in the Internet and digital media industry. Prior to that I served as an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army.

Free Mobile Apps Every Entrepreneur Should Use

That being the case, I recommend you invest just a little of that ever precious time in looking for ways to streamline your daily activities, whether that means automating simple tasks or even removing those tasks that produce a low return on the time you spend. Time in a very real sense is your most valuable asset as a business owner, and even if streamlining only saves a few minutes here and there, that saving really does add up and is what grants you increased productivity at work and more time at home with the family that’s waiting for you to hit it big.

One of my favorite ways to streamline is through mobile apps because they allow me to do my job out of the office, on the fly. Here is a list of some of the apps which have given me back more than a few hours. In fact, this list isn’t just relevant to entrepreneurs, but to anyone looking to gain a few hours back.

Oh yeah, I use an iPhone so I can’t speak for their uses on other phones. And, no, I do not represent or work with any of the below companies.

Skype – If you don’t know Skype by now, crawl out of your hole. Download it on your phone because it’s great for communicating over Wi-Fi and especially for communicating with international contractors when you don’t want long-distance charges.

Dropbox – Great to have on your phone for three reasons: 1) it allows you to access all your business files in the cloud right from your phone (great for meetings if you forget a presentation for example); 2) cloud storage across your phone and computer is a great way to back up all your files; 3) you can share all files in your Dropbox account with any recipient, without having to email them.

Genius Scan – I can’t tell you how much time I used to waste when I first started my business and had to find a Kinkos every time I needed to print, scan and fax documents. This app won’t let you print (obviously), but it will let you take a picture of any document, or string of documents, and then send it to your recipient as a single PDF file, the same way an office scanner would. Another 30-minute trip to Kinkos, or $200 expenditure on a scanner, saved.

Splashtop – Download this app, and you can actually get remote access to your computer, right from your phone.

Smartr – If you’re big on networking and want a good way to remember when you last kept in touch with someone, then this app is like the analytics for your address book. It’s also an all-in-one location to get calendar events and read email, Facebook messages and Tweets from your contacts as well.

Pivotal Tracker– If you’re looking for a project management tool (especially helpful for managing tech teams and web development), check out Pivotal Tracker. Then download it on your phone. This app will help you manage your entire team by allowing you to check the status of all your employees’ work, right in your palm.

Card Munch(from LinkedIn) – For people big on networking and attending networking events in particular, this is a great app. Take a picture of any business card, and this app will automatically convert it into a contact in your phone.

Tripit – When I was raising our first and second round of funding, we travelled to and worked out of locations in LA, NYC, San Fran, Seattle and Miami. That’s a lot of itinerary (and a lot of uncomfortable couches). If you travel a lot too and need an easier way, besides searching your email inbox, to keep track of airline reservations and itineraries, then get this app.

Evernote – If you’re like me in this respect – and you probably are – new ideas or improvements to your business are constantly popping up in your head. During those brief moments of clarity and inspiration, you’ve got to write those ideas down, and this app is great for doing just that.

Waze – Live in a place like LA where you have to drive to meetings? Download this app to get voice-activated, turn-by-turn directions. And it’s fully social, so you’ll see traffic, accidents and cops reported in real time by other people using the app in your area.

TaxiMagic– Need to drive to a meeting but don’t have a car? Download this app and pull up an instant list of all the cab providers in your area for a quick pick up.

HopStop – Have a meeting but don’t have a car and can’t call (or can’t afford) a cab (hello NYC). Download this app to get the best train or bus route to your destination.

PayPal – If you pay independent contractors through PayPal like I do, then download this app. The PayPal mobile app is secure and almost easier to use than your desktop for sending payments.

Chase (or other banking apps) – With the better banking apps these days, you can save yourself trips to the bank by making all your check deposits through your phone – snap a picture of the check, enter the amount and that’s it. Putting money in the bank and saving time? I’d buy that for a dollar.

Photosynth – One of the coolest picture apps I’ve ever used. Need to take pictures of a prospective office or event space? This app will let you stitch together photos to give you not just a panoramic view but a 3D panoramic view (floor, roof, walls, everything) so you get the real feel of any room or space.

Perch – This one I had actually never heard of until a commenter suggested it (thanks again!), so I checked it out, and it’s pretty cool. Perch allows you to discover competitor businesses and check out their online presence and activity across Facebook, Twitter and Yelp.

MobileDay – Suggested by another commenter, MobileDay is the conference call app you’ve always wanted but didn’t necessarily know you did. Download MobileDay and it will scan your calendar for meetings, send you reminders when they arrive and then allow you to join your scheduled conference calls with one click, without having to remember any access codes.

Skitch – Mark up photos, maps, screenshots and webpages with arrows, shapes and text and then share them with your network. This app is especially great for use with web designers and tech teams when trying to visually convey your suggestions and corrections. Integrates with Evernote.

Bizzonia – For the diehard networkers, this app allows you to geo-locate other business professionals in your area.

If you run any type of business and aren’t computer savvy at all, then GET TECHNICAL. Younger generations definitely take technology for granted, but if you’re an older entrepreneur especially, learning to use technology to your advantage is one of the easiest ways to save time. And mobile is a great way to start because you can quite literally run your business from a smart phone these days.

Use any apps I forgot, or is my list just plain out of date? Let me know in the comments!

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Hi Brian, thanks for the comment, I appreciate it! You can find me on facebook by clicking the “subscribe” button at the top of this article. You can also click the “following” link right next to that button, which I think will notify you of new articles. To PM me, suggest new topics or ask questions, feel free to send me an email at sprobinson1982@gmail.com.

Hello Shane, i do find your headlines interesting, among them all the recent “Mobile Apps Entrepreneurs should have” is intriguing.. is there a contact email for your a twitter reverentially to follow your stories?

Thanks for a great list! I’d also suggest BIZZONIA – the professional discovery app – an new iOS application that scans for professionals and business opportunities around you. Ideal for doing networking and finding new clients.

Other apps I use frequently for business are Any.do, PrinterShare, AirDroid (or Wifi File explorer), Image Shrink, and TunnelBear VPN for when I’m on wifi and need to ensure security. Oh, and Touchdown is far better than to stock apps for Exchange hosted email on Android OS.

hi, Thanks for this great list! I have tried out Photosynth. Its good but not super duper. I would suggest an App called Vignette. I paid for it a few months ago but its a lot better than instagram in terms of filters etc. There is another app I found recently for free called 99 Photo Gifts which you can use to send free gifts this season. So there are quite a lot of cool apps out there now!

An inexpensive accessory is available that improves the productivity of both Genius Scan and Evernote. ScanJig – holds your smart device (iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone, Galaxy) in a fixed position as you change document pages. Now you can quickly capture images with consistent quality and size. This greatly improves cloud applications and document processing (OCR, searchable PDFs). To learn more go to: scanjig.com